엔도 슈사쿠의『스캔들(スキャンダル)』론 -작품에 그려진 ‘악’의 구원의 문제를 중심으로-

Abstract

This article reflects on Shusaku Endo's 1986 novel “Scandal” and the issues of “evil” and “salvation” as depicted in the said work. First, the aspects of so-called evil are maximized in the description of Suguro’s autoscopy, as it is described in the novel. Suguro’s out-of-body experience is shown as he looks through a peephole of a hotel room to see his doppelganger molesting the body of a seemingly young girl, Mitsu. Suguro's imaginative taking of Mitsu’s body was caused by a desire for the regeneration of his aging body. This urge to reclaim one's youth is seen as a desire for a full life, which does not stray from the aspects of so-called sin, as previously described by the author. If the main protagonist's longing for his youthful body and physical lust for Mitsu are seen as masochistic then this act of masochism act can be described as a revelation of the character's inner desire for life and longing for regeneration. Therefore, the unleashing of this longing through masochism can be interpreted as salvation from evil. It can also be seen that such salvation is associated with the problematic needs of the “body,” which was stated by Endo as the purpose of the story. However, since this transformative urge is suppressed within the subconscious, it is only made clear once the act of salvation is realized. In particular, the depiction of salvation associated with the issue of the body sets this novel apart from Endo’s other works. Salvation from evil is also a central theme in “Deep River”, which was written 7 years after this novel. From this pattern, it can be inferred that the author’s will and the hypocrisy unveiled in the process are important factors in understanding the author's other literary works. In that respect, despite the many contradictory points included within, “Scandal” is significant in discussing Endo's later works as it was eventually a self-proclaimed key milestone for the author. In addition, it has been recognized as a turning point in the author's pioneering career by being his first work to depict the salvation of evil through the looking glass of an affected individual in an aging society.